'Hoverboards' Banned From Flying—Ha!—On Several Airlines

The "powerboard," a motorized, self-balancing, two-wheel scooter inspired by Back to the Future's famous hoverboard, is the hottest gift this holiday season. Unfortunately, it's also banned by airlines as "dangerous goods."

Powerboards (aka "balance gliders" or "hoverboards") are seemingly everywhere this season, despite being banned on public streets in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Justin Bieber, an avid skateboarder whose entourage is equipped with balance gliders, helped the gadget rise in recognition when he Instagrammed himself playing with it while flying onboard his private jet. Recent cameos in Missy Elliott's new "WTF" music video, on Ellen's "12 Days of Giveaways", and as a viral dance video have cemented the toy as the hottest Christmas gift of 2015. But despite its popularity, the crackdown on the gadgets is now extending to the airport.

Updated 12/11/15. Airlines like JetBlue prohibit the toys as both carry-on or checked luggage, noting that they qualify as neither a medical assistance device or a personal electronic device (such as an iPad or laptop). Delta, United, and American Airlines are the latest airlines to ban hoverboards, reports The Verge, joining British Airways, Virgin America, Alaska Airlines...the list goes on.

The greatest concern? A hoverboard's lithium ion batteries, which are considered Dangerous Goods and can—and have—caused fires on airplanes. The threat from these batteries is so great that a new type of onboard trolley, patented in late November by Airbus, has been designed to smother burning personal electronic devices in a fire-proof environment. This way, if your smartphone has a meltdown, as happened last week onboard a 787 or your “personal air purifier” overheats, as happened on an A380 over the Pacific Ocean last year, the resulting mid-air fire emergency can be immediately contained and extinguished.

Delta previously previously had an allowance for hoverboards, but only if the batteries were 160 watt hours or less, a detail that’s not always easy to find on the devices. Then Delta decided to do a deep-dive into "hoverboard product specifications, and found that manufacturers do not consistently provide detail about the size or power of their lithium-ion batteries," the airline said in a statement. Oops. One of the most popular models, the $400 Swagway, does note in its FAQ that the device is outside the lithium ion battery limits and prohibited as carry-on baggage—but it's more the exception, not the rule. Planning to travel with your powerboard or give it as a gift this holiday season? The best option is to ship it ahead or simply leave it home, or risk leaving it behind completely.

This article was originally published on November 25; it has been updated.